What is the best way to get into the 11's?

[snake oil]

hey, blue 66!
I know a buick v6 turbo when I see one!
snake oil

[Hotfingrs]

I should think 11's would be easily obtainable. Since this is my first Cobra after 35-40 Corvettes in the last 25 yrs, I can only tell you about mine. SBC with a little over 600 horse. and auto trans. First time to the track ran 10 5's and 6's @ 127 mph. This was with a 3.07 rear, and MT StreetET tires. Right before I put it up for the winter I switched to a different rear with 4.10 gears, and didn't get a chance to take it to the track. I'm guessing low 10's and by the time I get everything dialed in maybe a 9.90 something would be in the works. I had the frame stiffened and reworked, so hopefully this will aid in the quest for the 9 second time slip

[Jack21]

There's a guy in our club (CACC) running an FFR, relatively stock 5.0, EFI, mild FMS cam, and a Vortec S Trim blower. T-5. 4.11 rear. This is a street driven car. Gets 22 MPG highway, and 11's at the drags. His biggest problem is hooking up the tires.

My guess is that with a 302 stroker (327 - 331 or thereabouts) built right, with a Vortech R trim (or similar) you should be running 9's or 10's and still be able to drive it to and from the track. 3400 pound Mustangs are doing this today.

You don't need 530 cubic inches in a 2000 pound car to get the ET's down.

[Dave Samson]

Why can't I do better than 12.5 secs? I run a 308 Australian Holden V8 = Chevy engine with a Vortech S-trim up 12 psi at redline (5400 rpm) getting 400 hp at the wheels, LSD 3.45 rear,tremec TKO, IRS, not a lot of wheel spin.

[got snake?]

I'm gonna see Spina's Cobra this Sat.! They blew the engine roughly a month ago though...I think they fixed it by now.

GS

http://www.casperselectronics.com/cobra.htm

[Jack21]

The girls do look like that in downunderland if I recall. Dressed about like that, or less, where you are.

Anyway, try swapping your 3.45's out for 4.11's and see if that helps the ET's.

[justa6]

Your car should be doing a lot better than that. First, what kind of Mile per hour are you getting in the 1/4 mile. The MPH is a good indication of what kind of power your putting out. The ET is an indicator of your launch (and other things).

Are you using slicks? Or at least a DOT drag tire. If so how are you heating them?

I've also got a TKO (Tremec). Are you power shifting it? If you aren't that is a big piece of the problem.

What does your car weigh? Is it right had drive. That could be the biggest problem (only kidding)

Anyway, you said that you had 400 HP at the rear wheels. My car had the same trans, close to the same rear ratio, and 473HP at the crank. So that should only be a tad more than yours at the back wheels and its gone high 10's with a 1.56 60' time. You certainly don't need more power (although more never hurts) to make it go at least into the low 11's.

Regards,

[Dave Samson]

Justa6,
Only reaching 110 mph. NO slicks, just Euro TA's down to 15 psi and not heated at all.
Power shifting - don't know what you mean ?
With me and fuel it weighs 3000 lbs.

Jack21,
You are right, my dancers do look a little over dressed for this part of the country, that's why my eyes are stuffed.
If I go to 4.11's I'll just wheel spin in 1st and maybe 2nd with my unslippable 5 paddle competition clutch.

[justa6]

Your MPH is WAY down for having 12 lbs boost, IMO. Is your car Fuel injected? If so you might have to increase the size of your injectors. What is your fuel pressure going through the traps?

IMO, you need to find out why your engine is not putting out the power. Its either air or fuel but with 12 lbs of boost you shouldn't have an air problem. BUT if you don't have an equal increase in fuel it won't work. IF your engine is injected does it have a fuel pressure regulator that automatically increases fuel pressure as boost increases? If not that is your problem. Supercharged or Turbo engines have to have a method for the fuel to keep up with the airflow.

Power shifting is keeping the throttle wide open and making the gear change as quickly as possible. One NEEDS to have a rev limiter to safely do the above I've got mine set at 8400 which is about as High as I want to see the motor go if I "miss" the shift. Yours should be set to whatever RPM your valve train is set up for

Do you have a rev limiter? If not GET One it will save the motor ESPECIALLY a supercharged motor.

I'm sure others will have different opinions on where to start but if they don't have either Turbo's, Nitrous, or a Supercharger they may not know how the "enrichment" problem pops up compared to normally aspirated.

Hope this helps,

[Dave Samson]

Bob,
Thanks for your suggestions.
The car is fuel injected, uses a reprogrammed Delco ECU. The dyno tuner told me that there is plenty of fuel, pressure and air up to 5400 rpm. I do have a rising rate regulator but my fuel pressure gauge is in the engine bay so I don't know what pressure I'm reaching at redline. I do know that at 5800 rpm, the power drops off because the ECU rev limiter is set to 5800 rpm and I have felt it back off once in 3rd on the dragstrip.

As for power shifting, how long will the clutch stay in one piece doing that ?

[justa6]

Power shifting is hard on the whole drivetrain, but if your car's been built with a strong driveline it should handle the trips to the strip.

One thing that "Red" at McCloud had me do for my car is to have heavy straps placed on the pressure plate. He told me that the Buick V6's (Non Turbo's) rev very high and because of that the Pressure plate and the sheet metal cover on it want to part company when they are held together with just rivets. So they put 3 (I think) straps from the pressure plate to the cover. He also set me up with a dual friction clutch, pucks towards the flywheel and regular Material towards the trans. It seems to work fine but slightly grabby on the street. Not bad though.

Back to power shifting. The clutch is in and out so quickly that you basically tap the pedal. I think the hydraulic throw out bearing works well because its always in adjustment but it works with all different setups. If your quick it should sound like an automatic trans shifting.

IMO, its really the only way to drag race a manual shift car and make it competitive.

Can you build boost at the starting line? On my Grand National I can only get 4lbs before the front wheels push through the lights (locked). That's with slicks. If you can get some boost that might help the ET also if you've got any traction.

Shame Northwest doesn't fly to Australia anymore. I'd love to go. Closest I ever get is Bombay, oh well some day...

Regards and Gday,

[Dave Samson]

Bob,
I'm sure Northwest used to fly down here, I used to fly a lot between Germany , Sydney and L.A. back in the 70's and 80's, in fact L.A. was my 2nd home for many years.

Back to the drags...
My new clutch grabs quite hard on the street and the pressure plate exerts 4000 lbs pressure with a cable connection even though it doesn't feel like a truck.

I don't think I get any boost before launch but I will check again at the next traffic lights this afternoon. I do know that as soon as I launch, the boost is there. I suppose that a line locker to the front would help build boost before launch too.

I believe that my gear changes and street tyres (305x15 Euro T/A)are as bad as can be for drag racing. Those 2 factors alone are probably worth 1 second and lots of mph in the end.

Last year I replaced the T5 with a Tremec TKO and reduced the diff. from 3.08:1 to 3.45:1 , that alone was worth 0.5 secs.

It's frustrating to know that I line up with other Cobras who have 50 - 100 hp less than I do and still only run 12.5 as they do.

[justa6]

OOOOPPPPSSS,

Sorry about the building BOOST on the line. Somehow I got thinking about the supercharger and my mind went to my GN which, of course is and automatic. No there isn't any way that I know of to do it with a stick (THAT would really toast your clutch. I've got a line lock on my Cobra but all I use it for is to heat the slicks during the burnout.

Yeah Northwest used to go to Sydney out of Narita, I believe, I don't fly the 747 as all they do is Asia, I fly the DC10 which mainly goes to Europe. But I'd switch if we were going back "Down under"...

Regards,

[Dave Samson]

If you ever head this way,drop me a line.

[justa6]

You could just use a normally aspirated Buick V6. No juice/No Turbo/No Boost...

274 cubic inches, 11.5 to 1 compression, 1 Holly, MSD ignition, Tremec trans.

10.8@124

Sorry guys but I just had to do it...

Regards,

[Dave Samson]

Sorry Bob, if it's not a V8, it's.....

rice burners make me throw up too.

take care.

[RICK LAKE]

Hi Bob I saw that nasty six at run and gun. Gald it was not in my class of pure street. On to clutches, have you talked to Red about the soft loc clutch a couple of guys are using them for racing It is a slipper type clutch. Leave the start line at 5000 rpm and the clutch is adjustable for the lock up, it leave like an automatic with a trans brake. It does not blow the tires off, and the shock to the drive train is gentler. FE motor cost 1400.00$ Once it is set up to leave you can adjust the lock up of the clutch at the higher rpm. he has a 25 page sheet how to set it up. He says it is good for 1/2 to 3/4 of a second in the quarter mile. Two cobras that go to Run&Gun use this clutch and back up the results. I can not tell you who because a promised the drivers. I am going to put one in my car when I get my G-Force trans. Hey Bob Have you tryed a bigger carb on that monster motor yet like a 1200cfm holley, only kidding Talk to you soon Hope you are well Rick Lake

[RICK LAKE]

Back again Hey bob what is that blue bottle sitting in the back of the picture on the right side. Hey dave. you have not seen this motor run, have you ? I think the red line was about 9200 rpm. Watch out Dave, Old BoB is one sneaky snake charmer Rick Lake

[Dave Samson]

I can't hack this anymore, I'm going for a ride in my Willys.

[RICK LAKE]

Your a GOOD man Dave Where is the fifty cal. What Year? Do you have the flat 4 cylinder. I have 4 72-75 CJ5 2 for parts and 2 complete, one is my first jeep a owned renegade I had a AMC 304 but went to an AMX 390 motor from a 68. Lost my drivers licence in 6 months with 14 points. Ran 14.9 at the track and broke every part at one time or another. I worked two full time jobs to keep it running. I could have owned a porche 911S with the money I wasted in that Jeep. Going to restore it the a heavy drive train after the cobra is done. You know a cobra body will fit on a CJ frame with only a little help Enjoy the evening cruise Rick Lake